1158
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 53

transfer, the teacher of the latter school shall make application for such certificate to the teacher of the school previously attended.

The forwarding of the Scholar’s Record Card (Medical Inspection, R3 or R7), shall be held to satisfy the requirements of this clause if the entries thereon are made up to the current date in so far as they relate to the class in which the child is placed and to his attendance and progress.

CERTIFICATE OF PROFICIENCY AND COMPETENCY.

13. The regulations as to certificates of proficiency and competency as prescribed for public schools shall apply with the necessary modifications in the case of Native schools. (See Appendix.)

ANNUAL REPORT.

14. As soon as possible after his annual visit to any school the Inspector shall present to the Department his annual report on that school. He shall also furnish an inspection report which may, or may not, at his discretion be included in the annual report. These reports shall be made on forms provided for the purpose by the Department.

XV.—SYLLABUS OF INSTRUCTION.

PREPARATORY DIVISION.

1. The subjects of instruction in the Preparatory Division shall be English, handwork (including drawing) and other manual occupations, singing, games and other suitable physical exercises, and arithmetic.

In English the chief object shall be the teaching of the spoken language, by very simple sentences introducing by conversational lessons the names of common objects seen in the schoolroom, the playground, &c., or in pictures, if the objects represented are known to the children, by simple stories, and by conversations founded upon the children’s own observation of simple objects and phenomena and of pictures. The children should be led to express themselves freely and naturally, not only by the reproduction of stories told to them and by answers to questions, but spontaneously as suggested by their own natural activities and imagination. Opportunity may be taken to inculcate very elementary ideas of morality and of health, the former through stories having a moral purpose (the moral need not be expressed), the latter by simple talks—e.g., upon the use of a tooth-brush. Special effort should be made at this stage to secure purity of speech in regard to clear articulation, and as far as possible to purity of vowel sounds and to the correct use of the vocal organs; but this should be based upon imitation mainly. It is important, therefore, that teachers should themselves adopt a natural style of speaking, and should set good examples of clearness and purity of speech. The formal teaching of reading and writing is less important at this stage, and perhaps at any stage, than the teaching of spoken English; in Class P1 the teaching of these subjects will for the most part be incidental to the lessons in speech, the reading being chiefly from the blackboard or wall-board or from reading-sheets; no lessons in spelling need be given except such as are involved in simple phonetic word-building, in copying the teachers’ script, or in building words with movable letters. In P2 the teaching of reading and writing will be more systematic, but pen and ink should not be used, nor should rigid accuracy of form be insisted upon, so long as reasonable neatness and legibility are secured; spelling should be taught mainly by the copying of sentences in script. In both classes the recitation of suitable poetry should form a feature in the work.

As the work in English will be based upon the child’s attempts at self-expression in language, and upon his observation and imagination, so the handwork, drawing, and other occupations, and the physical games and exercises, will be directed to the development of the child through his other activities; the narration of what he has been doing in his games and occupations will also afford fresh occasion for exercise in speech. The methods of the so-called “new kindergarten,” which include modelling, and drawing, and simple dramatic games, should be employed as far as the staffing will permit; and the importance of singing and other music for its own sake, as well as for voice-training and for the training it gives in rhythm and in rhythmic movements, should not be overlooked. The physical exercises should conform to the general scheme as set forth in the Regulations for Physical Training; they should in all cases include simple breathing exercises,